Impossible to Believe
by Pisti
Summary: A sixteen-year-old girl runs into Jared and some others while they are on a raid... i suck at summaries. please r&r! Title is temporary...
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own the Host or any of the characters except Sasha and any others that might appear...**

I was running faster than I'd ever run before, my breath coming in short gasps of terror, my long hair flicking into my face. I spat it out of my mouth and kept running, not looking behind to see if I was still being chased. I had got too arrogant – I'd gone near the city, and been seen by Seekers. Now I was nearing a hotel – I was going to be caught, no doubt about it.

I ran past a large van with its back doors open, when suddenly a pair of hands gripped my hood and neck. I tried to scream, but didn't have enough breath as they pulled me back into the van. The doors were quickly shut and we were plunged into darkness. I sat silently, trying to regain my breath, until I couldn't bear the suspense any longer.

"Who are you? Why aren't you killing me?" I asked, and there was a laugh. Then a torch shone in my eyes, and I flinched and recoiled back into the side of the van.

"So you _are_ human." A man said. "What's your name?"

I gawped. "Sasha. Sasha Bennett." I said, not knowing why I didn't give a fake name, or why I suddenly trusted the man without knowing even if he was human. But then I found out; he turned the torch on himself. His orangey eyes shone with no more than human reflection. Then he simply shone the torch at the ceiling so we could see each other. The van was full of crates and boxes; they all seemed to be food.

"My name is Jared Howe. I have some friends with me. We're out for food, and supplies." The man said, then laughed at the confusion on my face. "We live in an underground community."

"How many of you are there?" I whispered.

"There are thirty-eight of us all together," Jared said.

"Thirty-eight _humans_?" I whispered in shock.

Jared's lips twisted. "Well... Thirty-_six_ humans. And there's other rebel groups, too."

I was silent for a few minutes, thinking over what Jared had said. This news shocked me; I thought I was the only human left. To know there were so many rebel humans... It was beyond imagining. I would have to see it to believe it.

I jumped as the van's doors opened, then cowered back to the front of the compartment as more people entered the van.

"Lookie what I found, guys," Jared said. "We got ourselves a teenager."

"What the hell?" A tall man said; I couldn't see what he looked like.

"Say hi, Sasha," Jared said cheerfully. "This is Ian, Kyle and Wanda."

"Er... hi," I said nervously, and another man appeared from behind the first, along with a small woman. Jared shone the torch in their direction; the two men looked identical, black-haired and pale-skinned, but one had a crooked nose, and the woman was short with a pale face and wavy golden hair. The girl smiled and stepped forward, but I gasped as the light caught her eyes and pressed myself to the back of the van.

"Is this a trap?" I gasped.

"Don't worry," Jared said, as the man with the straight nose held his arm around the girl – who I guessed was Wanda. "She's our friend. She helps us."

"A _soul_?" I asked incredulously. "Is this what you meant by the fact that not all of you are _humans_? I thought you meant you had _dogs_ or something!"

"Don't worry," Jared said again. I glared at him.

"Sasha?" Wanda said, stepping forwards. "You don't need to worry. I won't hurt you." She knelt down in front of me, and smiled. I bit my lip as I stared at her, then finally looked away and nodded curtly. They all sighed, then Jared stood up.

"Let's get back home then, guys. Only a short raid anyway." He said, then turned to me. "You okay to stay back here?" I nodded. "Come on, Kyle," He said, then he and the man with the crooked nose got out the back of the van, and the other, who I assumed to be Ian, felt around on the floor until he got a handle, then he pulled up four seats.

"Wow," I said, as he and Wanda went to sit in them. I sat the other side, leaving a gap between Ian and me.

"We put them in in case we only needed one vehicle." Ian explained as the engine started. I nodded once, then stared at the ceiling.

I'd just been saved by a man who was friends with a parasite. They lived in caves underground, a total of thirty-eight of them all together, with other rebel cells also existing. I just couldn't get my head round it.

As we drove, my eyelids got heavier and heavier until I eventually caved in and let sleep take me.

**Please review - this is my first longer story and constructive criticism is always helpful! I hope you enjoyed it ~ I'll try to update as much as possible...**

**l1fe0nm4rs :-)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Back again... this update's probably going to be quicker than others because I'm back at school now... :( **

**Thank you TopKat90, caligirl0209, Black and RetteMitch for reviewing :)**

**Er... caligirl0209, no, Sasha's a different character, and this is post-**_**The Host.**_** Ha, lol that rhymes...**

**um... do I need to put another disclaimer thing in?.... well... I don't own the Host.**

Chapter Two

"Sasha?" A gentle voice said. "We're here, wake up."

I groaned and opened my eyes before sliding out of my seat and starting to clamber to the doors. The van was parked in some kind of cavern, which was lit only by a vent in the ceiling, which cast a dim light round the cave.

"Do you need any help unloading the food?" I asked Ian, who smiled and nodded.

"That'd be great, thanks," He said, grabbing a couple of crates and giving them to me. "If you want to follow Wanda, she'll show you the way to the storage area." I nodded, then turned to Wanda, who was smiling and holding a smaller crate. She started to walk away, towards a hole in the side of the cavern. As we neared it, I realised it was one of many tunnels – some were large enough to drive a double-decker bus through, others so narrow that even someone Wanda's size would need to crouch to get through it.

The tunnel was pitch black inside, and all my instincts were telling me to get out of there. But I kept walking and tried to concentrate on keeping my breathing steady and not panicking.

Finally the tunnel opened in to a massive, brightly lit cavern. And it was full of people.

I gasped and skittered back into the tunnel, nearly dropping the boxes. "Don't make me go in there," I whispered.

Wanda turned round, looking confused. "What's wrong? Why don't you want to go in there?"

"Can't you distract them or something?" I hissed.

"What?"

"I don't want them looking at me," I fretted. Wanda still looked confused.

"You're going to be seen, whatever you do," She said, still no hint of impatience in her voice. "It gets boring down here. The people are nosy – they're always looking out for something to spice up their lives." Her voice took on a reassuring tone. "But don't worry, they're a mostly friendly lot. They won't bite." She said, then turned again and walked into the cavern, not looking to see if I followed her. I didn't want to be left behind, so I walked quickly after her, glancing around nervously; I was never fond of attention, and had grown unused to human company. Sure enough, heads began to turn and I cringed as people stared in my direction. It was silent for a few seconds, then someone broke the silence.

"Wanda! You're back!" They yelled, and a figure started running from the far end of the cavern. It was a boy, maybe the same age as me, with long black hair and a bright grin on his face.

"Hi, Jamie," Wanda smiled. It looked like they were close friends; I would have thought they were siblings, if it wasn't for the big difference in their looks. "This is Sasha."

Jamie turned and grinned at me. I smiled nervously back and stepped back a bit. "Hi, Sasha!" He said, still smiling. "Here, let me help you with that..." He took one of the crates off me and turned away. "You coming, then?" He walked off quickly, a spring in his step. Wanda laughed and walked after him; I followed quickly, not wanting to be left behind. They walked quickly through the cavern, then into some more tunnels, as dark as the first.

"How do you find your way around?" I whispered. Jamie laughed.

"You get used to it. It won't be long before you can find your way around." He said, and I snorted.

"I highly doubt it." I said. "The first day anyone trusts me to find my way around, I'll wander around lost until I find some kind of river to fall into and you'll never see me again."

"Don't say that," Wanda said quietly. The thought obviously upset her; this confused me.

"Wanda doesn't like violence," Jamie explained in the darkness.

"Or death," Wanda whispered. "The souls don't... there's no violence, apart from where the Seekers meet the humans." Her voice showed a hint of embarrassment as she spoke of this, and I realised just how much she'd probably sacrificed in order to live with these humans.

We turned a last corner, then I heard Jamie and Wanda come to a stop. "Here we are," Jamie said brightly. He put his box down, then I felt him take my box from me. I let go and waited until I heard him put down his and Wanda's boxes, then stepped back so he could pass me.

"Right then, Sasha," Jamie said, his footsteps falling in the rhythm of a brisk walk. I followed him, hearing Wanda walking behind more slowly. "Let's introduce you to our buddies here."

**Again, thanks for reading... hope you enjoyed it. Please review! Reviews make me happy! :-)**

**oh, and btw, TopKat90, background story is coming a bit later...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you Black, caligirl0209 and Kielagh for reviewing =]**

**Yeti, I KNOW it's a crappy storyline, etc, etc, but you write a story and THEN I'll listen to your opinion.**

**caligirl0209, yeah Mel does exist, I'm not going to get rid of any characters from the book (I might **_**forget**_** about them, but I'm not going to get **_**rid **_**of them...). Mel just hasn't appeared yet. I was looking for a decent excuse for her not to be in the first chapter. I have now thought of one... and my yeti bud agreed =]**

**Ha. I wrote too much just then. Enjoy.**

**I don't own any of the characters except Sasha... and maybe others to come... but not yet. **

Jamie led me back into the bright cavern, where everyone had been working when we first walked through. They were all in a big group now, and more people had arrived. I cringed as once again all heads turned in my direction when Jamie and I walked in, but he just laughed, grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the crowd.

"Maybe I should keep unloading the boxes..." I tried to find an excuse to get away.

"And maybe you shouldn't." Jamie said stubbornly, getting quicker until we reached the group. I hid behind him, peering over his shoulder. He sighed and pulled me round so I was standing next to him, facing all the people that lived here.

"Er... this is Sasha." Jamie said. Friendly smiles came from the crowd and after a few seconds of shocked counting I remembered to smile back. I hadn't actually _believed_ Jared when he'd said there were that many people alive. It was impossible, inconceivable. And yet I was standing here, staring at more humans than I'd dared to believe existed.

An old, white-bearded man stepped forward from the crowd. "Sasha, eh?" He said in a gruff voice, and I nodded.

"This is Jeb," Jamie explained. "He runs things down here."

Jeb nodded. "And I have a gun, and I will use it if you break the rules."

I felt the blood drain from my face. Someone laughed.

"_Jeb_, don't scare her." Jamie protested. I stiffened as he put his arm round my shoulders, then tried to relax. "Can't you see she's nervous enough already?"

"Just warning her," Jeb said. "You giving her a tour then, kid?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess." Jamie said. He dropped his arm and turned to me. "If you're up for it, that is."

"Yeah, 's cool." I said, wanting to get away from the crowd, which was creeping me out more and more by the second. I'd never liked attention.

Jamie looked thoughtful suddenly. "Jeb, where's she going to sleep?" He asked.

Jeb shrugged. "Find her somewhere."

Jamie sighed. "Useful," He huffed sullenly, before turning around and heading back the way we'd come.

"Wow," I said, once we were in the darkness of a tunnel once more.

"You didn't believe there'd be that many people, did you?" Jamie asked.

"No, not really." I admitted. "Would you?"

"I have to admit it, I was pretty shocked when I got here." He said.

"How'd you get here, then?" I asked. I had always assumed he'd always been here.

"Well, Jared's my sister's boyfriend." Jamie explained. "She went to look for our cousin in Chicago, and got caught by the parasites."

"Oh, I'm sorry..." I began, embarrassed that I'd asked the question.

"Don't worry, we got her back," Jamie said brightly, confusing me, but I didn't pry. "Anyway, Jared and I found Sharon – that's our cousin – and her mom, Maggie, and then trekked out here with some info Jared had got. Jeb's our uncle, you see. He'd given Mel a kind of map, which she'd then given to Jared, and he and Maggie figured it out before long. And that's how we got here. It's been a few years now."

"Wow," I said again, then saw a light at the end of the tunnel.

"Well, this is the hospital wing." Jamie said as we drew nearer and entered a larger cavern with several uncomfortable-looking beds in it. A tall, thin man smiled as we walked in.

"Hello, Jamie," He said. "Who's this?"

"Hi, Doc." Jamie smiled. "This is Sasha. Sasha, this is Doc. You can probably guess his role down here." I nodded, looking around curiously. There were a couple of tarpaulins heaped in a corner, a desk along one wall, and the cots lined up in the middle of the room. As with the previous cavern, it was lit by vents in the ceiling, only there were fewer here, with what looked like emergency lanterns hanging along the wall to my right.

"Hi," I said quietly, and Doc smiled again.

"Nice to meet you, Sasha," He said. "Is Jamie giving you a tour?"

"Yeah, he is," I said, then my curiosity got the better of me. "How do you work in here?" I asked quietly, trying not to betray too much interest. I didn't want to sound nosy or anything.

"We have the souls' medicines, which stop any infections and really sort anything out. They're bloody useful really," Doc said with a smile, and I nodded slowly.

"I always noticed they seemed good at healing each other," I said quietly, and Doc laughed.

"However much they've destroyed our world, they've given us amazing medicines." He agreed. "Are you with anybody, Sasha?" He asked, looking curious.

I looked at my feet and sighed. "No. Not anymore," I whispered, embarrassed as my voice cracked. "Not for a long time."

Jamie cleared his throat. "We'd better be moving, Doc," He said. "I think Sasha's pretty tired." I nodded and Doc smiled guiltily.

"Enjoy your tour," He called as Jamie turned and walked back into the tunnel we'd come from.

"Not all of the tunnels are this long," He assured me as we walked. "This is the longest one."

"It's okay, really," I said, smiling at his worrying. "I'm used to walking a long way."

Jamie laughed. "I guess so. I've forgotten how it was like to be on the run..." He trailed off.

"It feels so safe here already," I said quietly.

"It's amazing what having society can do," Jamie agreed, as a light appeared in the distance. "This is the sleeping quarters... I think you'd better share with Lily, if that's okay."

"Lily?" I asked.

"She's nice. You'll like her," Jamie reassured me, and then went to sit on the lip of one of the caves. "We'll hang around here till she gets back. Shouldn't be long. This is my room, by the way. If you ever want to find me."

I nodded and looked up at him, and he smiled warmly back. He seemed honestly really nice, but something about him seemed a bit... awkward. Then I felt my face go pale as an idea hit me. Was there _too much_ warmth in his eyes? Had he been a bit _too_ friendly?

Was he thinking what I _thought_ he was thinking?

I bloody well hoped not.

**Uh... hope you enjoyed it! Pleeease review! [And any ideas for a decent title? Or is the current one okay...?]**

**I might be updating quite soon... it's been snowing pretty heavily so if I can't get to school I'll have time to write.**

**Bye =]**


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